For the 10th anniversary of Napoleon Dynamite , director Jared Hess and star Jon Heder talk to BuzzFeed about their favorite memories from the film that jump-started their careers.
Ten years ago today, Napoleon Dynamite was released in a limited number of theaters, after initially being picked up and screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. The movie, shot on the extremely low budget of $400,000, soon gained traction, leading Fox Searchlight to give it a wide release in August 2004. Before long, Napoleon Dynamite had become a cult classic and national phenomenon. Jon Heder, who played the eponymous character, and director Jared Hess spoke with BuzzFeed about the unique filming experience a decade later.
Fox Searchlight/Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Where did the idea for Napoleon Dynamite come from? Did you base any of the characters off of people you knew?
Jared Hess: When my mom first saw the film at the first screening, she said, "Well, that was a lot of embarrassing family material." I come from a family of six boys, so most of what Napoleon says and does in the film is based on my five younger brothers. Most of the material in the film is things we experienced firsthand or said to each other, so it was very autobiographical. Growing up in rural Idaho totally formed the story, and I think being in college and looking back at my high school years through a different lens, we were able to find humor in very painful experiences when we were teenagers.
Jon, how did you prepare for the role?
Jon Heder: I know Jared got so much of the character from his younger brothers, and that's where I got a lot of inspiration: from my younger brothers. We all joked that Napoleon is the perpetual younger brother. He just embodies so much of what people who have younger siblings experience. I have two younger brothers, and a lot of the performance was based on the memories of them — high school, middle school, elementary school, just all of them growing up — having to fend for themselves in this world, being in a big family with older brothers. They're all like, This is so unfair! This is stupid! I hate you guys! I hate the world! It's just this attitude that's very natural — it was comedy in that we would laugh at my brothers, but it was just plain real life.
Fox Searchlight/Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment / Via octopussoir-.tumblr.com
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